Kibaha plots report handed over to DC

By Lucas Lukumbo

6th February 2013

Email

Print

Kibaha District Commissioner, Halima Kihemba

Detailed report on the controversial demarcation and delayed allocation of plots at Disunyara in Kibaha District, Coast Region has been submitted, Kibaha District Commissioner Halima Kihemba said yesterday.

According to the DC the report was handed over to her at the week-end by the Kibaha District Executive Director Tatu Selemani.

Kihemba ordered the report following complaints that the lands division in the district had failed to allocate plots to the people who had paid for them without giving any reasons.

When it finally did so, it was discovered that the wooden beacons of the over 200 surveyed plots were either destroyed by ants or vandalized.

“The report is with me now. It is a detailed one which chronicles the history of the plots since they were surveyed last year,” she said.

However she refused to give details of the report saying: “I need to first verify the current situation at Disunyara.”

She said it would be unfair for her to act without going to the field to assess the situation.

“I will pay a visit with my officers to the site. I will also have to see some of the potential developers to acquaint myself with their complaints,” she said adding: “I will have something to say on the Disunyara plots by Friday this week.”

“The report is detailed and of course there are some hitches with the whole exercise,” she hinted.

A fortnight ago, the DC asked the district executive director, Tatu Selemani to give her a report on the controversial plots located at Disunyara near Mlandizi, a few kilometres off the Morogoro Highway.

Many people fear that the District is heading for a big land dispute after most of the wooden beacons used to demarcate the Disunyara plots were eaten up by ants.

Even the iron beacons embedded in concrete have been uprooted apparently by vandals who use the irons to make domestic appliances including knives and arrows.

This reporter visited the site several times where he saw the destroyed pieces of wood used to demarcate the plots.

Potential developers feel that some dishonest people might easily invade the land by moving the sticks, creating unnecessary conflict.

According to the Kibaha District Executive Director Tatu Selemani the work of demarcating the area into plots was tendered to a Dar es Salaam based firm, Ardhi Plan.

The land dispute started brewing nearly a month ago when the potential developers expressed concern that they were yet to be allocated the plots for which they had paid.

However when the officials took them to Disunyara, ostensibly to hand over the plots, the exercise could not proceed due to the beacons hitch,

with one of the land officers in the district saying: “No serious land officer could continue with allocation of these (Disunyara plots) under such circumstances.”

He stressed: “Our work does not involve guesswork. We have to provide people the plots they deserve and paid for.”